Former Finance Minister Jaswant Singh has come to the defence of former SEBI Chairman CB Bhave, who is under the Central Bureau of Investigation scanner.

Bhave is unquestionably one of the best IAS officers of the country, known for his rectitude and honesty, Singh said in a statement here.

CBI had recently launched a preliminary enquiry against Bhave and KM Abraham on the MCX-SX matter. This move had led to criticism from several ministers and high profile bureaucrats.

“Without contacting the concerned persons, obtaining their views and then weighing the evidence, it is reprehensible to tarnish reputations of officers through such leaks. When honest officers do a good job, they should have the protection that their reputations are not spoilt by investigators prematurely rushing to the media,” Singh said. Such action reaffirms the need for an independent CBI, with Parliamentary Oversight to ensure that CBI fulfils its mandate in a fair and judicious manner, he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma separately said an investigating agency should exercise great caution as such enquiries tarnish reputations. “We should be very clear that any enquiry also tarnishes the reputation and destroys reputation. So there is a great caution required,” Sharma said.

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